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Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) 2015 Conference: Washington, DC

Those of us who have been sexually abused by predators hiding behind religious smokescreens often feel alone. The 2015 SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests) conference puts an end to that isolation.  It is a place where survivors and their families and advocates meet to share our experiences, learn from each other or in workshops and lectures and are united in our efforts to stop the abuse.  Join us this summer, we welcome you.  

What is SNAP?
SNAP is an independent, confidential network of survivors of religious sexual violence and their supporters who work to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, and prevent the abuse. We expose predators and those who shield them. We build policies and practices within secular and religious organizations that protect children now and in the future. We share our stories and empower others to confront the truth. Together, we find healthy mechanisms for healing. We educate ourselves and our communities about the effects of abuse. We speak in a unified voice to bring about change by exposing the malignant actions of abusive religious ministers and the church officials who shield them. For over 25 years, SNAP has led the movement to expose the truth.

To Register:



Friday, March 6, 2015

Catholic Nuns and Priests ruin lives – Reform catholic education Pope Francis


An anonymous reader (AR) told me how he or she felt about getting a catholic “education.” Some of you who went to catholic schools and others like me who went for religious instructions have a good idea of how AR feels.

I agree with AR that the Catholic Church leadership knew exactly what they were doing through their nuns and priests --the psychological damage was done by design.  “The Catholic Nuns and Priests taught young people not to think, ----- but to follow their directions blindly!” said AR.

They prevented the children from reaching their ultimate level of success. “It is like being locked in a closed room with no way to escape -- the Catholic Philosophy of life stifles the creativity of the individual for the welfare of the Catholic Corporation,” said AR.

Here is AR’s experience:

Many people have wasted their lives because they were never taught "how to think," and in the process, design a life based on their own goals, and their own talents, skills and abilities. The Catholic Church destroys creativity and molds people into non-thinking robots. It makes them "slaves" of the Catholic Church! As a young person, I lived this life with my parents. ---- Somehow I managed to break free from this indoctrination, but the damage is still there in the form of missed opportunities.

Throughout my life I was always fighting the "under dog" battle. I always had to work harder than other people to get the same rewards, and I blame this on the poor quality education I got in a Catholic School. If I had NOT been manipulated into a "mickey mouse" way of thinking who knows where I would be today? YES, I am very thankful
for what I have, and for what I accomplished, but there is a side to me that feels that I have not reached my ultimate level of success. I feel like a race car on the track that has yet to put the "pedal to the metal!"

What the Catholic Schools did to young people is criminal. Psychological damage is just as devastating as physical damage! The Nuns and Priests got into the heads of people, and sold them a "bill of goods" that stated that they were somehow "unworthy!"
QUESTION: If God does not make "junk," how can his creation be
"unworthy?"  Too bad all the nuns who taught me are dead! I would love to have the opportunity to "tell them off!"

I have a good idea of what AR means. When I went to religious instructions (for about 4 years) the room was dark, the nun walked around telling us in a loud, harsh voice about venial sins, mortal sins – that we were all going to hell – that we were all no good. There was never talk of a God who loved us. We weren’t even allowed to go to the bathroom.  After my early history of abuse by nuns and priests I thought I was in hell with devils.

In spite of his negative experience with the nuns, AR has written A Daily Inspirational Concept that should hang on the wall where we can see it every day:


“If you think better, --- you will live better! ---- If
you want to add value to your life, take care
of every moment! ---- If you "learn to think better"
you will live better! ---- Thinking is the force
behind your daily actions! ---- Thinking determines
what you accomplish on a daily basis. ---- What
you accomplish determines your destiny! ---- And
it all starts with your "thinking!" ---- YES, you can
think your way to "success," and you can think
your way to "failure!" ---- The choice is yours!
There is "GREATNESS" in you, if you take the
time to discover it! ---- You can be "positive" or
"negative" in life! ---- You can believe "I Can," or
you can believe "I Can't!" Either way you are right!

Thank you AR.